Last night a recent college graduate friend was telling me about a dinner he had with his aunt who had worked at the same company for the past 25 years.

When the topic of the job hunt came up, she started to talk about how he could negotiate for good vacation time, and that he should be sure to ask about it.

I'm not so sure. Call me an idealist, but I think grads who spent tens of thousand of dollars or more to prepare for a career should be able to find work they can get excited about, where vacation time is no object.

Then there's the impression that asking a potential employer about vacation time makes: people want to hire people who want to work, not lounge around on a cruise ship! I've met and learned from a fair number of successful people and, let me tell you, I can't think of a single one who was asking about vacation time when he started out. They worked hard to get where they are and, given how competitive the job market has gotten, the current crop of new workers will probably need to work even harder.

If the career you've chosen interests you so little that vacation time is a requirement your first year on the job, you may want to reconsider. What really interests you? For some great inspiration that, if followed, will lead to success, check out this Ben Stein column from a few years back.